NOTE: I had to repost - not sure what happened with the formatting. I know this story is dragging on. I hadn't meant for it to go on for so long. I will try and wrap up this story soon. Promise :) Thanks for all of you who support this story. I appreciate all your feedback!
Amy almost slammed her laptop shut. She has been trying to write a new piece for the blog since she got back home a few hours ago. Since her plans were cancelled for the night, she figured she could use this time to bang out a couple of articles. It's been a while since she's submitted a piece for the online magazine and she really needed to start making some cash again. However, instead of getting anything done, she was suffering from a major case of writers block. After a few more minutes of not getting anything done, she finally decided to give up and call it a night.
She was about to make her way to couch and maybe binge watch her favourite 80s movies, when her phone rang.
"Jeurgens! What up bruh"
"What do you want Ben?"
"Listen I am bored as hell. There's no one here but my supposed sister – though I really think I should investigate into this. There's been a lot of those cases of people misleading celebrities with their identity, sob story and all. Pretty sure this one is after the family money"
"SHUT UP BEN!" Amy heard Chloe, Ben's adopted sister, yell in the background
"God stop spying on my conversation. Where can a guy have a private conversation around here…oww stop that"
Despite what other people might think. This was the way the two siblings showed affection for each other.
"Ben what do you want" Amy asked again.
"I'm coming over"
"What?"
"I'm bored. You're obviously at home, because let's be honest, what else do single moms do on a Sunday night?"
"Careful Ben" Amy warned "You starting to get hurtful"
"I kid Amy, I kid…but seriously can I come over? Please? If you don't want to hang out with me, I can take John to the park or something. Whatever! I'll do whatever….puuuhlllease"
"Sorry, John's not here. He's out with my dad"
"OMG even better! We're going out"
"What? No Ben…it's late"
"Says the single mom. It's not even 9 yet"
"I don't know"
"Come on Amy. If your first grader is out partying later than you, you know there's a problem"
"Oh my god Ben. Alright fine. What do you want to do?"
"Who cares, we'll figure it out. I'll pick you up. Get ready, be there in 20"
"Oh god Amy noo, don't do it…save yourself" She heard Chloe yell in the background.
Ben must have thrown something at her just then, because she heard a soft thump followed by an OW.
Less than an hour later Ben had dragged her into some new bar downtown.
"Should we really be at a bar right now? I thought you quit drinking."
"I quit being an alcoholic Amy, there's a difference. I can have a beer or two here and there"
"Can you?" Amy eyed him suspiciously.
Ben laughed. "Yes Amy. I have been functioning as a perfectly normal social drinker for the past few years now. Those dark times of my teenager years are way past me"
Amy followed Ben to the bar. As a reflex, Ben placed a hand on Amy's back to help steer her through the crowd.
"Amy! Ben!" Someone shouted from across the bar.
They both turned towards the person calling out to them. It was Ricky and he with Adrian, along with a group of other people. Ben grinned when he saw the two familiar faces.
"Sweet. Ricky and Adrian are here. And it looks like they're with a fun crowd. This night is turning out better than I thought"
"Ben wait" Amy tried to protest, but Ben was already steering her towards their party.
Ricky looked like he's already downed a few beers. Adrian gave them a meek hi, she was sitting beside Ricky at the booth that was crowded with people. The game had just let out and the crowd had dragged themselves to the bar afterwards near the Arena.
Ben moved his hand from Amy's backed and looped it casually around her shoulders. For reasons unbeknownst to him, Ricky felt a knot in his stomach seeing Ben with his arms practically wrapped around Amy. To Ben, however it was a simple act of friendship. To Ricky, it meant a whole different thing.
Ricky snapped himself out of it enough to introduce them both to the crowd of people at their booth. Lifting himself off his seat a little, he pointed to some other people to the booth next to them and called out some names. A few people raised their hand as a form of acknowledgement.
"These are the guys on my team" Ricky said, nodding. "And guest" indicating to the female company that was with the group.
"Oh wow, so it seems congratulations are in order!" Amy grinned "I heard you guys landed a pretty major account"
A guy sitting on the opposite side of Ricky and Adrian, picked up his drink and pointed it towards Ricky. He had his arm looped around a blonde girl, whose name Amy didn't catch.
"This guy right here!" he said then leaning forward, giving him a few affectionate slaps on the shoulder "this guy right here is DUH MAN!"
The rest of the guys with him cheered and raised their glass. It appears that this was not the first round this group has had that night, and they were already pretty rowdy. A guys who was sitting inside the same booth as Ricky and Adrian, reached over from behind Adrian to grab Ricky on the shoulder and started to shake him.
"Yeaaahhhhhh" He said, spilling some of his beer on the table.
"Alright guys, Alright enough" Ricky was wearing pretty big grin for a guy who was trying to be modest.
"You should have seen this guy at that meeting man" The guy with the blonde spoke again. "The proposal - the pitch he was like fucking Brad Pitt in I don't know…any god damn movie he plays" He spat out before taking another chug off his beer.
Another round of laugher from the crowd. This time some other guys from the other booth chipped in.
"Damn I don't care if you were selling soap or what in there bro, the way you were going in that boardroom I would have bought my own spit from you"
The crowd groaned at the reference. The guy beside the blond chucked a handful of nuts that were on the table his way.
Ricky raised his arms up, not noticing the glaring look coming from Adrian beside him. She had been feeling left out from Ricky and the rest of the group that night and now she was coming across some new information that was making her feel even crankier than she had been feeling that night. She was currently regretting making a choice to go out with Ricky and the rest of the group that night and was ready for the night to end.
"Okay, Okay. But I can't take all the credit. This girl here is responsible for editing the proposal" Ricky pointed at Amy
The glare from Adrian, could have burn down a house had Ricky notice. But he was too busy jesting with the guys to see the look on Adrian's face.
"Wait, it was you responsible for those edits?" blue shirt guy beside Adrian said, his squinting eyes growing wide.
Adrian was fuming internally.
"Oh it was nothing" Amy said with a nonchalant shrug.
"Nothing? Listen, I've seen both the first and final draft…the final proposal is what sold it for sure" Blue shirt guy was practically slurring his words.
"HEY NOW! The first draft wasn't that bad…And I would argue the pitch had more to do with it" Ricky yelled out defensively. He was practically screaming his words, a side effect of having too much alcohol in one night.
"Yeah, Yeah." At this point the interest of work died down and the crowd made room for Amy and Ben at one of the booths. Another round of drinks were ordered and it wasn't long before Amy and Ben were chatting animatedly with the members of the group. The guys Ricky worked with were friendly and easy to get along with. They cracked jokes about work and about made comments about other patrons at the bar. Again, not something they would usually engaged in, but sometimes alcohol made you act inappropriate or say things you would not otherwise say if one was not under the influence. Ben, who's had a few beers was having the time of his life and was really enjoying the company he was with.
"YOU GUY ARE AMAZING!" Ben yelled out, giving everyone at his booth a high five, after someone had cracked a joke they all found hilariously funny. The crowd just gave another cheer and clinked their beer glasses together.
"Ohhh there's dancing!" The blonde, whose name was Tina, exclaimed. The dim lighting was turned down even lower and a wall open up to reveal a stage with a DJ booth as the latest NE YO track begin to blast through the speakers.
Some members of the group went to dance as NE YO and Pittbull was telling everyone about 'having the time of their lives'. Those who didn't care for dancing stayed at the booth. Ben had met some brunette and was chatting her up at the bar. Amy found that she was having fun so she went with the group to dance for a bit, until suddenly she felt the dizziness coming on.
It lasted only seconds, but decided she needed some air. She lightly touched the arm of the new girl she met - Jacklyn, the girlfriend of one of the guys on Ricky's team. "Hey I'll be back in a minute. I'm just going to get some air" Amy made a gesture as though fanning herself.
Jacklyn nodded. "Want me to come with?"
"No, no, you stay. I'll be right back"
Ricky was still at the booth, but he noticed Amy rubbing her right temple with her right hand as she made her way out of the bar.
Concerned, Ricky excused himself and followed Amy.
The cool breeze hit Amy as soon as she stepped through the bar doors, and instantly she felt better. Taking a deep breath to breathe in the fresh air, she stepped away from the entrance and leaned back against the brick wall.
"Amy?" A voice called out to her moments later. She turned and saw Ricky
"You alright?" He asked, frowning as he stepped in front of her. Concern ridden all over his face.
"Yeah, I think I just needed some air" she smiled at him and Ricky stepped closer towards Amy, barely leaving any gap between them, trying to assess her condition.
"Is the dizziness back?"
"I mean a wave hit me in there, but it didn't last long"
"Oh, are you allowed to drink while on your medication?" Ricky knew he was being obtrusive, but he couldn't help being concerned.
"Ricky?" A voice called out from behind him.
"Adrian, I was just making sure Amy was alright" He subconsciously stepped back a little away from Amy, widening the gap between them.
"Oh? What happened?" Adrian eyed Amy, raising an eyebrow. In her opinion she seemed perfectly fine.
"It's nothing. It was nothing" Amy replied, feeling awkward that all the attention was focused on her.
"Okay, but if you're feeling dizzy Amy maybe we should call it a night" Ricky said turning his attention back on Amy, still wearing the look of concern on his face.
"Great idea, actually I came out here to tell you I'm ready to go home" Adrian said to Ricky. "I'll go find Ben so he can take Amy home"
Amy was ready to go home, so she didn't argue.
"I'll come with you, I should say bye to the guys. Amy would you be alright out here?"
"I should say bye too, I told Jacklyn I'd be right back"
"That's okay, I can say bye the them for you. Just wait out here" Ricky didn't want to drag her through the crowd of all those people. "We won't be long" he told her before walking through the doors after Adrian.
A few minutes later, Ben exited from the bar with Adrian and Ricky.
"Hey everything cool?" He asked looking at Amy. Knowing about her health condition also caused him to feel concern about Amy.
"Yeah Ben, I'm just tired"
"Alright well this night was fun" Ben declared, as he shook hands with Ricky.
"Yeah, great night" Ricky agreed, then turned to say bye to Amy "Take care okay?"
"Thanks Ricky you too, see you Adrian"
Adrian simply nodded at Amy and Ricky. Her hands planted firmly on her hips, as she waited by the cab that was parked on the street. She was too furious at Ricky to give them a proper goodbye.